Best Answer: That National Debt Relief is a Scam! But they are slick in the way that they operate and know tricks to cover up their dirt so it's hard to prove. A friend of mine signed up for their debt settlement program about 7 months ago and they screwed her over so much in fees and ruined her credit in the process that it sent her into a great depression. I knew they were up to no good because they kept relentlessly pursuing her to sign up with their scam program just like you described. I wouldn't trust this National Debt Relief with a 10 foot pole no matter how they look on the surface..they are nothing but some crooks preying on people who are already struggling! WARNING: I did a search and even found how they could be operating under different names (see source). I been around a long time and am aware of companies like this that keep changing their names, locations, and phone numbers to cover up their dirt and then keep coming back under a clean slate with clean BBB record, and more fake testimonials and all to just repeat the process, keep duping the public, and making tons of money . This makes me sick to my stomach! I sure hope the FTC and other authorities will continue to pursue and put a stop to these scams - no matter slick these crooks operate the people are getting wiser & wiser everyday not to fall for these scams. I commend you for being smart enough to ask around on this matter. Also you can check with your creditors and usuallly they will be willing to work with you if you come at them honestly and sincerely. This is what I did years ago -on my own- to settle my debt and my creditors reduced my payment and debt amount until it was cleared. Remember: If you are behind on your debt, creditors will usually like to get paid something rather than nothing at all - so this makes them highly motivated to work with you.

Debt settlement companies, also sometimes called "debt relief" or "debt adjusting" companies, often claim they can negotiate with your creditors to reduce the amount you owe. Consider all of your options, including working with a nonprofit credit counselor, and negotiating directly with the creditor or debt collector yourself. Before agreeing to work with a debt settlement company, there are risks that you should consider:
Always keep in mind when dealing with services like debt relief that many customer view it as a magic pill to solve all their debt problems and make them financially stable, which is not the case. There are no guarantees when it comes to debt relief. These companies try to work with customers to lower their debt burden, but they aren’t going to work miracles.
How Long Will It Take To Get Out Of Debt? It depends on how quickly you can build up your settlement funds and save for the settlement offers. The program length varies between 24-48 months, the faster you can save, the quicker you can get out of debt. If you only make the minimum payments on your credit cards, you could be in debt for the next 10-20 years and pay back 2x, 3x, or even 4 times as much as you originally borrowed.
Also, there are many not for profit credit counseling organizations who offer services at local offices, online, and on the phone. Many universities, military bases, credit unions, housing authorities, and branches of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service operate nonprofit credit counseling programs. Local financial institutions and consumer protection agencies may also be good sources of information and referrals.
Hi. We have about $45k in debt , 10 of which is a trailer loan. Daughter is in first year of college. If I decide to see a credit counselor would it hurt her chances of getting fafsa ??? Loans in her name I believe because she is over 18, but we don’t want her owing a lot just coming out of college either, and we have a son graduating in a year as well. This has stressed me out to even thinking of claiming bankruptcy but I’m not going to go to that extreme…..help!! Suggestions? Owe $300k on house, own all cars.
At this point, you will need to continue following the advice of the credit counseling agency you hired to help and remember the benefits of being debt-free. Life is a lot more difficult when you’re juggling credit card bills and other payments each month. If you want to avoid winding up back in debt, it’s crucial to remember how far you’ve come and how wonderful freedom feels.
To qualify for National Debt Relief, you must have at least $7,500 in debt and a demonstrable financial hardship that you cannot recover from. Financial hardship includes a divorce, unemployment, loss of income, the death of a spouse and unpaid taxes. National Debt Relief uses this proof of your financial hardship as leverage to negotiate with your creditors.
There are some downsides though that you have to weigh, our credit scores did drop down to 630-680’s and some creditors list our payments as “late” for some reason. But CareOne said that the late status should change after about 3 months of consistent payments. Some creditors also list that your payments are being made by debt management program which I can assume does not look very good on your credit report.
Here’s how balance transfers work: As a way of attracting new customers, credit card companies will let you transfer a balance—in other words, a debt—from one credit card to a new credit card at 0 percent interest for a certain number of months. For example, if you were to transfer a $2,000 balance from one card (15 percent APR) to a new card (0 percent APR for 12 months), you could save up to $300 in interest.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to discharge most debts, which means the debt disappears after bankruptcy proceedings. But there are strict income limits to be eligible -- generally your income must be below the median in your state -- and you might have to turn over some of assets to be sold so proceeds can be used to repay creditors. Your house, a very low-value automobile, and tools used for business are usually exempt from being sold.

I started today while reading this article by putting 5 dollars into my savings account. I feel like I’m drowning in debt and living from emergency to emergency. I know they key for me to getting out is establishing savings…and I’ve procrastinated. No more! Today I started, next pay check I’ll put in 50, next 100, maybe I’ll get to 200 in a few months. I want to see $2000 in there so I can afford things like car maintenance and medical co-pays!

You’re ready to begin your debt snowball once you’ve saved your $1,000 starter emergency fund. That’s what we call Baby Step 1. An emergency fund covers those life events you can't plan for. Think busted hot water heater, dental emergency or flat tire. You get the drift. An emergency fund protects you from having to go further into debt to pay for an unexpected expense.
Seek the help of a psychologist or another mental health expert if your concerns about debt are negatively impacting your day-to-day life. A licensed health expert can help you confront your anxieties head on and offer strategies for dealing with them effectively. Also, reach out to your personal network and let those close to you know that you could use their support. It helps to know that you’re not in it alone.

What if I have $60k+ student loans, $14k credit cards spent on medical bills, etc., from the last few years of waiting on disability? What do I do? I will never be able to do the job that my degree holds or most likely any job for that matter. My ss Will be around $1250/month. I don’t even know how I will live on that. I have never been able to get a mortgage to the student loans. Thank you.

They make you think they are helping and word it as such. its only after I had “qualified for a loan” with another company to pay off my debt that I was informed of the fees and debts still in collection and no settlement was ever made. I have been paying for over a year and half of each payment went to fees for the “services” they provide.All these services they offer you can do yourself with just 30 minutes of your own time.
The debt management program itself is not reported to credit bureaus and does not factor into credit scores. The largest % of anyone’s credit score is payment history and with a debt management program, our goal is to make on time payments to liquidate your debt in a reasonable amount of time. Initially, your score may dip when lines of credit are closed, however, people on a debt management program typically see their scores increase over time as they make on-time payments each month.
Revolving (credit card) debt can have a great impact on credit scores as it will increase your balance-to-limit ratio and lower the amount of available credit that you have. The higher your revolving balances inch up to the limits, the more it hurts the credit scores. Depending on the situation and your credit scores, a bankruptcy, debt consolidation plan, or a setup of a budget and timeframe for getting out of debt could be options. Once you’re ankle-deep in revolving debt, it can be tricky to dig yourself out so getting professional advice is important.
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It’s hard at first, because most of us aren’t used to doing that. (Especially if we’re living on a low income.) But it’s absolutely doable, and gets easier with practice. And once you start paying stuff off, it becomes even easier because your money isn’t flying out the door to service debt. You have MORE money available, which makes things easier still. It’s the exact opposite of a vicious circle.

The company has an A+ rating with BBB, where there are currently more than 130 customer reviews. Of the lowest ratings, complaints are centered on National Debt Relief’s customers sales and marketing tactics. Some complaints were also about representatives not being upfront or clear about the potential negative consequences of entering a debt relief program, like your credit score plummeting. Between 2015 and 2018, 77 complaints were filed against National Debt Relief on BBB. Out of this number, 36 are marked as resolved and closed and 41 marked as answered.

Nearly 50% of all college graduates leave school with private or federal loans, and the average US student leaves with at least $10,000 to repay. This can be a substantial burden for recent graduates, which makes student loan consolidation a smart - and sometimes necessary - choice for any graduate in need of debt help. Consolidation of federal loans is easy, and might save you hundreds of dollars by lowering your interest rate. Read our guide to federal and private student loans, browse our articles on the topic.
As the debt relief company is negotiating with your creditors, you stop paying the bills involved (e.g. monthly credit card bills). Instead, you will be making smaller payments to a separate trust account to pool in your resources. Ultimately you will need to come up to the pre-planned amount that you agreed to with the debt relief expert handling your case.
Bankruptcy is a last-ditch attempt to settle debts. It is a legal proceeding through which you liquidate all assets in order to wipe out debt (Chapter 7) or persuade creditors to approve a repayment plan over a 3-to-5 year time frame to eliminate debt. There are severe consequences for both, including a drop of as much as 200 points in your credit score and the bankruptcy action remaining on your credit report for 7-to-10 years. A debt management program is not a legal proceeding. A notation that you are in a DMP could appear on your credit report, but there should be little impact on your credit score until you complete the program. At that time, you could expect your credit score to improve, sometimes dramatically.